Santa Ana Pueblo lies along the banks of the Rio Jemez, which enters the
Rio Grande from the west. The pueblo was visited by Oñate and a mission
was built there about 1600, shortly after his visit. The people of Santa
Ana joined in the Pueblo Revolt, and since there was no priest serving
their church in 1680, they joined with the Indians of Santo Domingo and
San Felipe to massacre the padres at San Felipe. In 1687, during one of
the Spanish efforts to reconquer New Mexico, Santa Ana was destroyed and
her people fled. Later, at the urging of de Vargas, the modern pueblo
was established, along with the church now standing there. The
population of Santa Ana is nearly 400. Its annual festival takes place
in August. It is often difficult to find many of the people at the main
pueblo for they spend most of the growing season at El Ranchito, to the
east in the Rio Grande Valley.